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About
In 1993 I moved to Philadelphia to attend the Art Institute for Graphic Design. While attending school I worked as a receptionist at one of the most prestigious salons in the city. I realized soon after that this is where I was meant to be, so I left art school and transferred to the Rizzieri Institute for Hair.
I was quickly recruited by an Aveda salon in Philadelphia, after only three months as an apprentice I was promoted and given a chair.
![sam-smith-model-image1](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model-image1.jpg)
By going over your hair history and letting me know what you hope to achieve during the session, I will be better equipped to provide you with the best results! This enables me to more accurately estimate your time requirements.
![sam-smith-model-image2](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model-image2.jpg)
In 1995, I left Aveda to join an elite salon in Atlantic City, New Jersey , called ‘Art is…salon’ For over 10 years I worked as a stylist and Director of education. Every weekend I traveled to NYC to train at the famous L’Oreal academy in Soho. I was able to train under some of the top master stylists in the world in both cutting and hair coloring. It was then there that I fell in love with precision haircutting, something that is not as widespread in the US.
![sam-smith-model4](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model4.jpg)
In order to further this skillset I moved to Munich in Germany – this is where I mastered an entirely new way of cutting and understand hair.
Within those 2 years in Munich, I became a master stylist at the elite Hairgott Frisieur salon.
By going over your hair history and letting me know what you hope to achieve during the session, I will be better equipped to provide you with the best results! This enables me to more accurately estimate your time requirements.
![sam-smith-model-image6](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model-image6.jpg)
In 2008, I decided to return to the US, working at Cutting Loose salon in Sarasota Florida. I spent six years they’re studying under the Paul Mitchell brand as a master level 2 colorist and cutter. During this time I also went under contract with an agency in Miami in order to assist on big editorial shoots for brands such as Victoria’s Secret and Express.
I took a leap of faith in 2016 and colored my first vivid hair color model. I had noticed what was happening for stylists on Instagram. Their work was being seen by major brands in publications. So, I snapped a picture and posted it on my new hair account @bottleblonde76.
The pic was immediately reposted to cosmopolitan magazine who later named at the wildest hair trend of 2017. After having my first pic go viral, I continued posting vibrant colors and soon pop sugar named me one of the top 30 beauty accounts in the country to follow.
![sam-smith-model-image9](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model-image9.jpg)
By going over your hair history and letting me know what you hope to achieve during the session, I will be better equipped to provide you with the best results! This enables me to more accurately estimate your time requirements.
![sam-smith-model-image10](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model-image10.jpg)
Soon after, I was introduced to David and Alexis Thurston, who are a very influential couple in the hair industry based out of Los Angeles. They had me join a group of the top 10 hair Instagram or‘s in the country and we travelled from city to city education on stage to sell out crowds. This was a huge movement in independent education in the Hair industry. We were considered disruptive and they named us the butterfly circus- probably one of the most i flue cities experiences of my career so far. By the end of our tour the Thurston’s had started developing a hair color and styling line of products called ‘Pulp Riot’ I was blessed to be part of the launch of this brand from its inception.
For the next three years I traveled the globe launching the brand. My love for educating on stage grew into my biggest passion. I was fortunate to have traveled to over 20 countries educating stylists on how to use the Pulp Riot products.
![sam-smith-model-image11](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model-image11.jpg)
Eventually the brand was sold to Loreal and I stayed on to continue stage education and editorial work during this time I also signed onto work with Brazillian professionals and Salon Centric to represent their brands.
All of these amazing opportunities eventually allowed me to open my own salon six years ago in Sarasota, Florida – called Bottleblonde76. My salon has won the best of Sarasota two years in a row and includes a very diverse and inclusive staff and clientele.
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I have been nominated for 8 One shot awards and two Big shot awards by behind the chair magazine.
I am the current winner of the UK’s international colorist of the year. I have been nominated for the past two years for colorist of the year in the US.
Moving forward I will be working with a world-class team of stylists to launch the Thurston’s newest hair and lifestyle brand – Danger Jones.
![sam-smith-model-image14jpg](http://vividbysam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sam-smith-model-image14jpg.jpg)
By going over your hair history and letting me know what you hope to achieve during the session, I will be better equipped to provide you with the best results! This enables me to more accurately estimate your time requirements.